President Donald Trump speaks at Mount Rushmore National Memorial on Friday, July 3, 2026, near Keystone, S.D. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) For over 25 years, Venezuelan Chavismo consistently flouted and violated agreements with the U.S. and the international community. Massive detention, torture, murders, electoral frauds and repression were the norm. Even Edmundo González’s landslide electoral victory was stolen by the regime, despite abundant evidence demonstrating his triumph at the polls.
Everything changed on Jan. 3, when President Trump ordered the execution of Operation Absolute Resolve. The operation succeeded in capturing and extracting Nicolas Maduro, demonstrating the regime’s vulnerability. But 6 months and many achievements later, some sectors question the administration’s strategy and even believe the U.S. is empowering what remains of the communist regime in Caracas.
On Friday, in the lead-up to the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, Trump made his principled stance against communism clear: “America will never be a communist country,” he said. “We resolve and swear for all to hear that the citizens of the United States of America will vanquish communism quickly.”
The proclamation is in line with the three-phase plan for Venezuela: stabilization, economic recovery and transition. This strategy has neither vanished nor been buried in the wake of the devastating twin earthquakes that struck the nation on June 24.
What is evident is that the U.S. does not wish to repeat the mistakes made in Libya and Afghanistan. Instead, it seeks a new approach to dismantle the apparatus of 25 years of communist tyranny through precision action designed to avoid chaos, violence, or anarchy.
In just six months, the U.S. government has compelled the regime to make progress on releasing political prisoners and guaranteeing a baseline of freedom of expression, assembly and organization. It has even laid the groundwork for a dialogue process that has the goal of creating a new, credible and impartial national electoral council.
Regarding security, the U.S. has pressured the regime to hand over highly enriched uranium — something no one had managed to do for over 30 years. Additionally, a Hezbollah terrorist was captured, the leader of the Tren de Aragua gang was eliminated, and for the very first time in decades members of the Israel Defense Forces arrived in Venezuela to save lives and provide technological support following the earthquake.
Economically, the U.S. cut off the flow of oil to Cuba, facilitated an increase in oil production to an estimated 1.2 million barrels per day, and ensured the resumption of relations with the International Monetary Fund and other financial agencies.
Given the incompetence and inefficiency of the Chavista military in handling the post-earthquake crises, more than 2,000 U.S. troops are currently in Venezuela, coordinating and supporting the delivery of humanitarian aid and assisting with security operations.
One thing is clear: The U.S. is not embracing the regime but rather dismantling its vital structure, one day at a time. CIA Director John Ratcliffe and U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine have visited Venezuela following Operation Absolute Resolve. Their presence sends a significant signal. They are not there to embrace the dictatorship, but to assess the situation on the ground first-hand. This is not improvisation; it is peace through strength.
As the earthquakes have made clear, much work remains to eliminate the criminal roots of communism in Venezuela. The work includes the return of opposition leader María Corina Machado, the end of the Rodríguez Cabello junta, the unconditional release of all political prisoners, the end of the police state and the holding of free elections.
The situation in Venezuela is far from perfect, yet it is also far removed from what it was six months ago. The U.S. is clear that a new Venezuela cannot be built upon the foundations of the old dictatorial structure. That is why Trump’s speech at Mount Rushmore offers hope, accompanied by the promise to vanquish communism and do it quickly.
Arturo McFields is an exiled journalist, former Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States, and a former member of the Norwegian Peace Corps. He is an alumnus of the National Defense University’s Security and Defense Seminar and the Harvard Leadership course.
Add as preferred source on Google Tags Chavismo CIA Director John Ratcliffe Communism Cuba oil blockade Dan Caine Donald Trump Edmundo González Gen. Dan Caine Hezbollah Highly enriched uranium Israel Defense Forces (IDF) John Ratcliffe Maria Corina Machado María Corina Machado Mount Rushmore Nicolas Maduro Nicolas Maduro Nicolas Maduro capture Operation Absolute Resolve President Trump Tren de Aragua Tren de Aragua gang Trump administration united states US-Cuba relations US-Venezuela relations Venezuela earthquakesCopyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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